


Reckless Decisions

by Sakiyama_Shuujis



Category: Inazuma Eleven
Genre: Alternate Universe - Science Fiction, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Confessions, Genda is a reckless idiot, M/M, Non-Graphic Violence, Not Beta Read, as always, secret santa gift
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-25
Updated: 2020-12-25
Packaged: 2021-03-11 00:40:43
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,099
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28306188
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sakiyama_Shuujis/pseuds/Sakiyama_Shuujis
Summary: Sakuma usually had a hard time getting angry at Genda, they had known each other for years, so he was more than used to his general reckless behaviour. But even he had to draw the line somewhere. And taking a mission to capture an escaped criminal working in the military of one the most powerful planets in the system- Oxza V- was definitely crossing that line.
Relationships: Endou Mamoru/Kidou Yuuto, Genda Koujirou/Sakuma Jirou
Comments: 2
Kudos: 6





	Reckless Decisions

**Author's Note:**

  * For [UndeadFae](https://archiveofourown.org/users/UndeadFae/gifts).



> Hoo hooo I was ur Secret Santa for the discord thing :D  
> I had a lot of fun writing this but I'm sorry it is so long

The din of a roaring engine broke Sakuma out of his fixated tinkering, filling the previous tranquillity as he heard the tell-tale signs of a poorly engine. Great, Sakuma couldn’t help but think, On my day off as well.

“Sakuma? Are you there?” 

A familiar voice called out. He sighed, hardly suppressing a smile as he leaned out of his window overlooking the hangar.

“When am I not?” He called back, quickly grabbing his toolbox and making his way to the ship.

And what a sight it was. It wasn’t uncommon Genda would turn up with his ship in a terrible state, anywhere from broken wiring, to fuel leaks, to missing components, but this- 

“What have you done to her?” He gasped as he reached the hangar floor, doing a once over of the ship- or at least it’s remains. 

His ship was never the fanciest, nor the most functional, a typical cockpit and living area combination with little flair or style. It was about the most bog-standard ship you could get, really- a raggedy, bulky pile of rust, its scars and wear matching its owner’s.  
But it was in tatters. The left thruster seemed as if it had been crushed against a boulder, deep wounds tore along the hull, some previous quick-fixes had been torn off their hinges, left to hang miserably at the side as they rattled with the soft, sputtering hum of the engine. Sakuma quickly noted some missing parts and the quickly growing puddle of oil on the stone floor. It was a miracle he managed to make it to Talmeli without the cockpit depressurising.

“I had a run-in with- well- nevermind,” Genda shifted uncomfortably, “Sorry about this, I know it’s your day off and all, but I need to get back to X’onia as soon as I can…”

“Well..,” A twinge of worry pierced through Sakuma’s stomach. He hated it when Genda didn’t tell him what happened- it always meant he had done something stupid. Or dangerous. Usually both.  
“I can get her in working condition, but it’ll take a while, and it won't be pretty,” he shifted his glance to Genda, “or cheap.”

“Don’t worry!” Genda grinned, a sheepish, warm smile that etched itself into Sakuma’s heart, “I promise I’ll pay this one back before something goes wrong again!”  
They both laughed, and Sakuma stopped for a moment to consider something.

“Hey,” A tone of worry in his voice, “I’ll knock 30% off if you tell me what happened.”

\---

“Genda you idiot!” 

Sakuma usually had a hard time getting angry at Genda, they had known each other for years, so he was more than used to his general reckless behaviour. But even he had to draw the line somewhere. And taking a mission to capture an escaped criminal working in the military of one the most powerful planets in the system- Oxza V- was definitely crossing that line.

“You could have gotten yourself killed!” In all honesty, Sakuma knew he couldn’t understand the gravity of the situation, but he could more than understand ‘military’ and ‘gunships’. 

He put down his equipment, all but giving up on the mess of wiring he had opened up. “You can’t keep accepting jobs like this, you’re gonna get yourself into some real trouble!” 

Genda pushed his hands into his pockets, hunching awkwardly and turning his face, “I didn’t know it would get this serious…” He sighed as his excuses were met with a cold glare, “I’m sorry, Sakuma, I’m doing my best to fix this. That’s why I need to get to X’onia,” 

An uncomfortable silence settled between the two, neither wanting to say anything. Not knowing what to say- Sakuma had so much he wanted to tell Genda, to yell at him for being so reckless, to try to offer his advice, to comfort him and tell him he was only so scared because he cares so much. But his throat felt dry, and he couldn’t translate the buzz of his mind into any meaningful comment. In the end, all he could manage was an “It’s okay,” and a reassuring pat on the shoulder, before turning back to the ship. As much as he hated leaving the conversation like that, he didn’t want to overstep any boundaries or make the whole thing worse. All he could do for now was hope for the best.

“Hey, can I at least be of any help?” Genda asked, kneeling next to wear Sakuma sat on his work stool, “I feel terrible just waiting around while you fix my ship and worry about me,”

Sakuma let out an exasperated laugh, “You can go get me some of the spare parts from storage, I’m gonna need a lot of them,”

“Looks like it, I guess I’m on Talmeli overnight, huh?”

Sakuma didn’t even need to look at Genda to know the face he was making.

“You can stay in the spare room,” Sakuma smiled at Genda’s quick celebratory noise, “I doubt it’s very comfortable on this pile of junk anyway,” he teased.

“Hey! This ship’s done me well, much more than a ‘pile of junk’” 

“Yeah, thanks to me,” Sakuma laughed, “Go get those parts,”

\---

They had to call it a day after the left thruster collapsed in on itself. Neither of them had the energy nor will to find a replacement in the storage room (or as Genda affectionately called it, The Junk Cupboard), so they decided it could wait for tomorrow. Besides, the sun was beginning to set, and it had clearly been a while since Genda’s last proper meal. 

“You’re cooking is always the best!” Genda beamed as he eagerly took a second bowl-full of stew. Sakuma laughed.

“You’re just saying that because you’ve been living off ration bars and cold soup for a month,”

“Trust me, I’ve been to many places across the galaxy, and I’m yet to find anyone who cooks as well as you do!” Genda grinned as he continued to shovel stew into his mouth.

“You’re biased,” Sakuma glared, doing his best to ignore the heat in his cheeks. 

He glanced at the sunset, fully visible over the town from the balcony at Sakuma’s apartment where they sat. Despite living on Talmeli all his life, he would never get used to the evening sky, as the planet’s rings scattered the sunlight across the deep-red rocks of the surface. 

Talmeli was a peaceful place, Sakuma was glad to have grown up on such a quiet planet. His town had grown a lot since he was a kid, as the planet’s remoteness and serenity made it quite a popular place for those looking to settle down and lay low. Genda was not one of those people. 

Sakuma still remembers the day he arrived- how could he forget it? A beaten-up, likely stolen ship crash landing in the canyon beyond the town outskirts, pursued by several important-looking military vehicles. He had been out there at the time, running supplies to another settlement, as a dishevelled, terrified boy ran out of the wreckage. He helped the boy hide until his pursuers seemed satisfied with their search and disappeared off the planet. They were both 18 at the time, and even now, 6 years later, Sakuma still knew nothing of what led Genda to crashing on Talmeli. 

But nonetheless, the two were fast friends, staying in frequent contact even if Genda never officially settled on Talmeli. In fact, he barely spent more than a week on the planet nowadays, not with his work as a bounty hunter.

Which led to the current mess.

“Kidou’s not going to be happy when he hears about this, you know?” Sakuma finished his reminiscing, turning to Genda.

“Oh he never is,” Genda laughed, “though this is… more serious than everything else,”

“You don’t say,” Sakuma mumbled, “But we’re going to need his help for this, I won’t let you go alone.”

\---

The cool blue of the morning light skid across the rocky landscapes of Talmeli, Genda tugged his cloak as a cool breeze blew across the winding path. 

“I’ll never understand why they chose to live so far out here,” Genda complained, “It’s much warmer near the town,”

Sakuma laughed, Genda had never gotten used to Talmeli’n weather. 

“I’m sure you can take it up with them when we get there,” He nudged the other man playfully, “It’s just round this corner-”

Just beyond the jutting rocks was a quaint house, built into the mountainside, the white bricks almost shining in the light against the red rocks. The path led up to the house through a garden of the small range of flora found on the planet, clearly well taken care of as the large bushes and trees partially obscured the circular windows. 

Sakuma knocked on the wooden door as they approached, and they quickly heard the latches being undone.

“Genda! Sakuma!” A cheery voice greeted, “It’s great to see you! What brings you here?”

“Hi, Endou!” Sakuma replied, Genda waved behind him, “Is Kidou in? There’s something we need to talk to you two about,”

“Hm? Yeah of course!” Endou smiled and gestured inside, “Come in! I’ll go get him,”

Endou disappeared into the house as the other two entered. Genda had only visited a handful of times, and each time he was just as impressed by the place. It largely matched the exterior, well kept and charming, decorated with pictures of friends and other memorabilia. It was very warm too- homely. Something about it prodded Genda’s heart.

As the two entered the kitchen, Endou reappeared with a sleepy Kidou leaning on his shoulder, hair hurriedly pulled into a ponytail, his clothes slightly dishevelled and his eyes bleary with sleep.

“It’s great to see you but you couldn’t have come round a bit later, could you?” Kidou yawned as he stood up straight, moving his hands to fix his hair.

Genda shifted uncomfortably. “Yeah… sorry about the time, it’s just…” he trailed off.

Kidou sighed, knowing full well Genda had gone and done something stupid again, “What have you gotten yourself into this time?”

And so Genda explained, carefully avoiding a few terrible details- such as the extent of the damage to his ship, Kidou wouldn’t be pleased with that- Sakuma grimacing at Kidou’s glares. 

“Wow, Genda…” Kidou almost laughed, but only almost, “I believe you’ve outdone yourself,”

“Yeah yeah, I get it,” Genda raised his hands in defeat, “Can you help me or not?”

Kidou shared a concerned glance with Endou, resting his chin in his hand in thought. “I- I can’t” Sakuma wanted to protest, but Kidou cut him off before he could, “Not when I’m one of the few teachers in the town, I can’t just disappear off to Oxza V with you halfway through the term, but I know someone who can help you,” 

\---

By the time evening fell, all was prepared: the ship cobbled together and (miraculously) fully functional, a destination set for Kidou’s mysterious friend, some food from Endou packed away. 

Yet, even with everything in place, something seemed amiss. 

He turned to Sakuma, ready to say goodbye, but the words got lost in his throat.

“Genda-”

“Well, goodbye, Sakuma,” he finally managed

“Genda…”

“Wish me luck, I’ll need it, make sure you-”

“Genda!” Sakuma cut in, “I’m coming with you,” 

Genda stared, gawking slightly, trying to piece together a response. Sakuma stared back, patiently.

“No, you… you can’t, it’s too dangerous! You rarely leave Talmeli! What if someone needs you?” He spluttered.

“Well, I’m sure they can wait,” he smiled, “Besides, it’ll be dangerous for you as well, even with that other guy around, you can’t expect just to sit around here and worry, can you?”

Sakuma didn’t wait for a response, picking up his bag and walking up the silver ramp into the ship. Genda wanted to argue and make sure he stayed here- safe- but he knew that any protests would only fall on deaf ears. Plus, some company would be nice, he supposed, and he couldn’t deny that he spent many sleepless nights missing him, thinking about him, wishing he could just stay by his side- many nights wading through his feelings and memories, trying and failing to pinpoint why this man meant so much to him. His brief interactions with him between jobs never seemed enough to find the answer.

“I get you were trying to leave without me-” Sakuma called from the hull of the ship, snapping Genda out of his thoughts, “but I can’t leave without you, come on!”

With a gentle laugh, he followed the voice into the ship.

\---

Travelling through space was always, for lack of a better word, incredibly dull. Sakuma was more than amused at first, watching the deep crimson canyons of Talmeli fade into obscurity, and the distant galaxies sparkling and twisting through the windows, but eventually it was all just… the same. But Genda was fine- probably used to the long stretches of silence, Sakuma thought- sitting peacefully in the pilot’s seat and gazing at nothing in particular.

“God, don’t you get bored out here, Genda?” Sakuma groaned and leaned from his seat over the armrests of Genda’s, looking up at him. 

“Not really,” He laughed, “I like long journeys, it gives me plenty of time to just… daydream, I guess,” 

“Ugh, I’m jealous,” he sunk further over the armrest, hanging his head with a sigh,

“It’s been half an hour Sakuma, you can’t have run out of distractions already,”

“Oh yeah? Just watch me,” he lifted his head as Genda laughed, caught off guard by his soft smile- “D-do you really,” Sakuma coughed, trying to cover the slight blush he felt creeping up his face, “Do you really just sit here and think for several hours?”

“Well, there's plenty of things to tinker with on the ship if I find motivation, but-” He leaned over to a small compartment, Sakuma retracting out of the way, and pulling out a small notebook, and handing it to the other man, “Sometimes I do this,”

Sakuma leant back in his own seat, flipping through the small notebook in awe. Every page was full of drawings and paintings, pencil, watercolour, some small and neat, others sprawling across the paper. All of them showed various snippets of the galaxy, people and places, all portrayed carefully and elegantly as if holding a delicate memory.

“Genda… these are amazing,” he said, eyes wide.

Genda smiled brightly, “Thank you… It seems like such a waste to explore so much and not have a memento, and it definitely fills spare time travelling,”

Sakuma continued looking through the book, reaching pages that unmistakably portrayed the twisting red canyons of Talmeli, sketches of the town and Sakuma’s workshop, glimpses of pale blue hair against tan skin-

Without warning, Genda clumsily snatched the book out of Sakuma’s hand. Sakuma could have sworn he was blushing, though it was hard to tell with the orange stripes across his cheeks-

“Some- some of them are… unfinished,” he laughed nervously, putting the book back in its original place,

“They’re beautiful, Genda,” Sakuma noted, a little disappointed with the book going back, but amused by his friend’s reaction. “Really! You should show it off more often!”

He only squirmed at the attention, muttering a small ‘thank you’ and trying to busy himself with the ship's controls- though they both knew there was nothing to do. Trying not to let the dreadful silence settle in between them, Sakuma broke it.

“So… this Fudou person, what do you think he’s like, exactly?” He asked, a question that had been on his mind since their conversation with Kidou.

“I’m not sure… though if he is willing to help us, he must be good at his job,” 

“Dangerous, too,” Sakuma added, meeting Genda’s quizzical glance with a more serious one. “How can we be sure we can trust him?”

“We can’t be, but it’s our best shot. I don’t fancy infiltrating an Oxza V military base on my own,”

Softly sighing in resignation, Sakuma knew he was right. It was a dangerous mission, and just having the two of them would be a stretch, though if it kept Genda safe, Sakuma knew he had to be there. He meant far too much to him just let him run off on his own, not this time. 

“Why did you accept this in the first place?” Sakuma mumbled harshly, not truly meaning for the words to be heard, or the venom behind them.

Genda seemed taken aback “I- I had to, Sakuma,”  
“No- no you didn’t! Why can’t you just stay on Talmeli, or at least not spend all of your days risking your neck for others, why?!” Sakuma snapped, “I’m sick of sitting around in the workshop, wondering if I’ll ever see you again, if every message you send me is the last I’ll ever hear of you!”

“Sakuma…”

“I… You mean too much to me Genda, I can’t lose you,” The words flowed endlessly, taking a weight with them that Sakuma had never realised was holding him down, “I’m sorry…”

The man across from him took a moment to process his words, but quickly moved a soothing hand over to his, holding them gently. “No, I’m sorry, Sakuma. You… you’re right, y’know?” he smiled sadly, rubbing a thumb over the back of the others hand, moving the other to wipe away a stray tear from his unhidden eye, “But… I don’t have a choice… the jobs pay well, it’s the quickest way I can afford to stay on Talmeli,”

As he replied Sakuma leaned into the warm hand pressed against his face, smiling solemnly. “You do want to stay?”

“I do, I miss it a lot,” He laughed, bright as ever, “And I miss you too…”

Sakuma could only hope Genda couldn’t feel the warmth in his face before he lifted his head, taking in the moment of peace between them. Beneath the gradual shifting colours of space filtering through the window of the cockpit, Sakuma couldn’t deny that Genda looked truly beautiful, his smile outshining even the brightest of the stars.

“We should get some rest,” Genda finally spoke up again, “We have a long journey ahead of us,”

\---

Sakuma woke with an unpleasant start to a sharp jolt and rattling of the ship, accompanied by a slightly worrying crash. He groggily lifted himself up and headed towards the cockpit, where Genda stood with a half-concerned half-pleased smile on his face.

“Nice landing,” Sakuma groaned, “I can see why you need repairs so often,”

“It wasn’t that bad, not that it’s my fault! The alignment still seems out with the-”

“Oh, so it’s my fault now?” He jested, elbowing Genda lightly as they both laughed.

“If you insist. But we’re all in one piece! Time to go find this mystery man,” 

Sakuma grimaced, remembering the mission at hand. 

The ship’s ramp lowered with another concerning clunk and they stepped out into the city before them. And what a sight it was- Sakuma couldn’t remember ever seeing anything so grand, it put even the most dominating gorges of Talmeli to shame. Large arches of smooth silver towered over the city’s skyline, littered with windows and balconies overlooking the sprawling expanses of unique structures, standing brilliantly in the warm morning light. Soft shadows flickered over the stone path before them as ships flew overhead, drawing Sakuma’s attention to the lower, less fantastical structures where they had landed. Clearly the more overlooked part of the city, some of the buildings looked as if they had lain abandoned for years. People milled about between them, lit by the pale light of the sun and dim crystal lamps illuminating the stalls and wares. 

“We’re not far, come on,” Genda leaned over Sakuma’s shoulder to mutter quietly, “He should be just a few streets from here,”

They walked quickly through the streets, weaving between crowds whilst Sakuma admired the place- half dragged by Genda so he didn’t get too distracted. Genda smiled at his friend’s awe- it was… it was cute. 

They approached a rather dreary-looking grey building, the wooden door frame partially obscured by a brightly patterned but fading cloth. Stopping, Genda held his arm across Sakuma.

“You stay here, I’ll go see if he’s in,”

Sakuma shot him a look that let him know he wasn’t pleased with this, but stayed put nonetheless. 

Genda knocked on the wooden door frame, calling out the man’s name. No reply. Cautiously lifting the cloth, he walked through into the dark room of the house, barely able to tell apart any furniture and doing his best not to walk into it. 

“Fudou Akio?” He called out again as he tried to gauge his surroundings. 

He had a terrible feeling about this. 

Before he could even consider turning back, he felt something heavy collide with his chest, pushing him backwards. He scrambled back towards the wall, unable to make out an attacker with only the dim light falling under the curtained door before a knife pressed to his throat. 

“Who are you? What do you want?” A desperate voice snarled.

“I’m not here to hurt you! I need your help!” Genda replied, putting his hands up in defeat. He was half-minded to draw his own weapon, but that was never the smartest move when you had a knife to your throat.

“Who sent you?!” The voice called again still holding the tone of distrust, but the pressure of the knife dwindled. 

Genda had no chance to reply before the curtain was pulled back, allowing light to wash over the two as Sakuma frantically rushed into the room.

“Genda! Are you alright I heard a-” 

He stopped suddenly, gasping at the sight before him- Genda on the floor, hands up in defeat, the man above him armed to the teeth and holding a knife to his throat. Panic flared through the man’s teal eyes, his mouth pulled into a worried grimace. 

“Oh, more company!” He jeered, “How many of you are there?”

“Calm down, it’s just us!” Genda replied before Sakuma could say anything landing them in more trouble. “Kidou Yuuto sent us, he told us you could help,”

This seemed to put Fudou at ease, lowering the knife back into its sheath as he let Genda stand. He walked over to a crystal lamp, lighting it and filling the room with a dim white glow. They could finally get a better look at the man, his unkempt brown hair falling over his face and his beat-up armour, the deep-set tiredness in his eyes- he was almost just as they had imagined. 

“Help you with what?” He sighed, glancing a sceptical glance over the two, Sakuma returning to Genda’s side.

“We need to get into a military base on Oxza V, Kidou said you could get us in,” 

“Well, you can tell Kidou that I’m not a mercenary that he can hire out to people,”

“He also said you may be interested in helping to catch the bounty, might be of some personal connection to you,”

This caught Fudou’s interest, raising an eyebrow as he interrogated, “Who?”

Genda smirked, glad he was finally making some progress with this, “Kageyama Reiji, escaped prison on X’onia a few months back. Managed to work his way back into the system. You’ll get a cut of the bounty, as well, of course,”

A strange glee lit up in Fudou’s eyes, something Genda couldn’t quite put his finger on.

“You should have opened with that, what’s the plan?”

“I need to return to X’onia, update the client, then at Oxza V-”

“I’m not joining you for side questing,” Fudou interjected, taking control of the plan, “We go straight to Oxza, I take it you have a ship? I detail you a plan on the way there,”

Genda didn’t like this stranger taking charge, and Sakuma wanted anything but to put trust in him, but neither of them had any other choice, and his confidence in the matter was at least a little bit reassuring. They mumbled out an agreement, leading him back to the ship.

\---

“So how do you know Kidou?” Fudou asked, sat back in the co-pilot’s seat with his legs stretched out across the dashboard and chewing on a ration bar. Sakuma grimaced- not an hour after meeting and he was already comfortable, too comfortable. Genda didn’t seem to care, too preoccupied with reading over the plan Fudou had already written out for them. 

“Childhood friends,” Sakuma responded curtly, not caring to talk to him. “How does he know you?”

“Talmeli, no? I’m sure you're aware he disappeared from your planet for a couple of years, that’s where I know him from. We… worked together,” 

Sakuma raised an eyebrow, looking over to the other. Kidou never really talked about the years off Talmeli- Sakuma never cared, he was just grateful to have his friend back. But a part of him was always curious.

“I suppose he never told you… which is fair, I don’t go round blabbing about it much either,” He paused for a second, “But this is an exception, if Kidou trusts you I guess I can too,” 

Sakuma stayed quiet, he didn’t want to hear about Kidou’s past if he hadn’t told him himself, it seemed wrong. 

“Is this also where you know Kageyama from?” Genda interjected, still reading, “From the way he and you reacted when I mentioned him, I’m guessing it is,”

Fudou stilled for a moment, “Yeah, it is. But anyway, how’s Kidou doing now? I haven’t seen him in years,”

“He’s moved back to Talmeli,” Sakuma replied, “he’s a teacher now, he works at the local school with his partner,” 

Fudou smiled quietly, “God, he was always a softie. Good to know he got a happy ending though, wish I could say the same for myself,” He mumbled the last words, hoping they’d go unnoticed, but Genda caught the hint of remorse they were spoken with. 

He knew the feeling all too well, the longing for a peaceful life. Fudou seemed to pay little mind to it, some didn’t care for that lifestyle at all. But with Sakuma so close to him, even now, his heart yearned to relax. Though it doesn’t pay to dwell on it, he turned back to his notes as the conversation dwindled.

\---

The cold blue of Oxza V’s surface approached, and Genda could feel the nervous pangs in his chest growing, clawing at him. A deep dread burrowed through him, the guilt of bringing Sakuma into this doing its absolute best to destroy him from the inside out. This was his problem, he couldn’t let Sakuma get hurt on his behalf- he would never forgive himself if he did. But Sakuma was stubborn, he refused to sit around and wait, and he was part of the plan, too. They all were. 

“We’re entering the section now,” Fudou called from the cockpit, Sakuma and Genda sat in the main hull of the ship, “Stay quiet over there, I’ll do the talking,”

Fudou clearly knew his way well around the interrogation and requirements before being let into the airspace, answering the guard’s questions over the radio with almost terrifying accuracy and ease. Before either of them could process the situation, they had landed. 

“Okay, you know the plan. Get out quick before an inspection crew comes by, and stay low, I’ll deactivate the cameras. Meet me where we agreed, no less than twenty minutes,” Fudou ordered militantly, slipping off the ship and into the shadows of the hangar. 

Sakuma followed behind Genda carefully, following the route Fudou had promised would lead them, he didn’t dare speak. It was all overwhelming to him, sneaking through the bleak corridors of the military base, his heart pounded in his chest thrice with every step.

“Don’t worry, Sakuma,” Genda whispered, feeling the other man’s nerves. “We’ll be out of here before you know it, trust me,”

It did little to ease his aching fear, but Genda’s smile was a small respite from the dreary, intimidating structure.

“How far did you make it last time?”

“They started shooting at me long before I could even land, really we’re doing fine at the moment,” That was less reassuring. “Just as long as we don’t draw any attention,”

Easier said than done, Sakuma thought, but they made their way through the twisting walls with little problem, only occasionally having to duck behind pipes or columns to avoid a patrol. Every passing second only struck new fear into Sakuma, now clutching onto Genda’s hand for a little reassurance. They reached the rendezvous point, ducking behind a pile of crates, Sakuma pulled into Genda’s chest.

“It’s okay, Fudou will be here soon,” Genda whispered, mindful of being heard but needing to calm Sakuma’s growingly frantic breaths. If Fudou was successful in disabling the cameras, they would have to locate Kageyama, subdue him, and drag him back to the ship- it was a lot when laid out like that. Not to mention the heavily armed guards, soldiers and androids milling about the base- Genda didn’t blame Sakuma for being scared. 

“I promise I won’t let anyone hurt you,”

Sakuma pulled away from Genda, sitting in a more practical position for when they needed to get going. His head still spun with worry, but fortunately less so.

“Genda if I… if we don’t make it out of here, I have to tell you-”

Sakuma’s words were cut short by a loud crash and the sound of blasters filling the air. A struggle. 

They leaned over the crates, just enough to catch a glimpse of unruly brown hair amidst the chaos.

“It’s Fudou, we have to help,” Sakuma noted, standing quickly with his blaster in hand. 

“You- you stay here, it’s dangerous,” Genda held him back, “Please,”

“We don’t have time to argue, I’m here and I’m helping,” 

Genda reluctantly let him go, drawing his weapon and following Sakuma to Fudou’s side.

“Fudou! What happened?” Sakuma snarled, shooting down an android as he approached.

“Change of plan,” He replied curtly, shooting into the crowd of attackers.

“Fudou, I didn’t know you had company,” A voice sneered behind the soldiers. Genda shot his glance to the source of the voice, to the elegantly hooded figure. Just a glimpse of the face and there was no doubt about it - Kageyama.

“He found me before I found him,” Fudou muttered, “ We’re gonna have to brute force our way out of here,”

Fudou shot down the soldiers with relative ease, dodging between pipes and shallow doorways to avoid being hit. Sakuma ducked behind one of said pipes, shooting from behind it. He had some combat experience, but not enough for him to risk standing out in the open. 

Unlike Genda. 

Sakuma could see why he was such a well-respected warrior.

Brazenly rushing through the middle, knocking aside attackers with his spear between Fudou and Sakuma’s cover fire. He dodged their blows with ease, fighting swiftly yet gracelessly, just doing what he needed. No flare was needed to make it impressive, though. The few hits he sustained scorched his flimsy armour, a grunt of pain escaping as one strayed over his side, but it didn’t slow him down.

“Cover him,” Fudou said, disappearing around a corner. Sakuma was startled by his escape but obeyed nonetheless. The soldiers had thinned out, many unconscious on the floor, some- Sakuma dared not think. Genda pulled a small device off his belt and threw it into the few that remained, standing back and taking cover next to Sakuma. A harsh blast rang through their ears, the figures of the soldiers lost in the explosion. 

“Are you okay?” Genda asked as the smoke cleared. Sakuma nodded in reply, standing cautiously. 

“Impressive fighting,” Only one figure remained, unsheathing a blade from his waist, “We could use a soldier like you, it would be such a shame to kill you,”

“Don’t touch him!” Sakuma shouted without thinking, raising his blaster towards Kageyama. 

A shot resounded through the corridor.

Sakuma fell to the floor in pain, gripping his hand and dropping his weapon with a startled grunt. 

“Sakuma!”

“Don’t be so rash,” Kageyama spoke flatly, unbothered by the carnage before him, and returned his blaster to its holster- one neither of them had seen him pull out.

“You’ll pay for that!” Genda snarled, lunging forwards with his spear. Kageyama’s movements were surprisingly fast, blocking the spear with his sword. Genda zipped round the side, slashing as hard as he could, just knocking the other off balance. He took the opening to land a blow on his shoulder but was quickly pushed back as Kageyama regained composure. Genda knew he couldn’t afford to fight for long, he was already tiring and Sakuma was hurt, his concern clouding his attacks. 

He deflected attack after attack, but could barely get any of his own in without opening himself up. Meeting the blade with the spear horizontally across his chest, he pushed forward hard. Kageyama stumbled backwards, allowing Genda to move forward, hurrying another attack to his opponent. But it never hit. A curt dodge and the man was behind him, landing a gash across Genda’s back.

“Argh!” Genda fell forwards, scrambling to turn back to his attacker. He barely managed to avoid a sharp hit, receiving another shallow wound. He swung his spear around, but his new-found weakness saw it being shoved from his hands, colliding harshly with the cold floor. Another blow forced him to the ground, hideous pain hissing through his abdomen.

“Such a shame,” Kageyama muttered again, raising the weapon above the boy on the floor, ready to put an end to the battle.

Another shot rang through the corridor, mingling with the harsh ringing of panic in Sakuma’s ears. The figure Kageyama fell to the floor, Fudou standing proudly across from them.

Genda breathed a deep sigh of relief and pressed a hand to his wounds. Sakuma ran over to him, the pain in his hand nothing compared to his worry for Genda.

“Genda, Genda, no no no-” Sakuma muttered, lowering to his side, “Are you okay? Can you hear me? We’re gonna get you out of here,” He wasn’t sure if he was trying to reassure Genda or himself.

“Jirou,” He replied weakly, “I’m… I’m okay,” He ran a hand across Sakuma’s shoulder, gentle and warm.

“I’ll take Kageyama, you help Genda back,” Fudou took control of the situation yet again, lifting the limp body over his shoulder, “He’s only unconscious, we have to make it back quick, and careful- I don’t think we can survive another round,”

Sakuma helped Genda to his feet and pulled his arm around his shoulder, falling in line behind Fudou.

\---

Onboard the ship, finally away from the dreaded base of Oxza V as it faded into the stars, Sakuma attended to Genda’s wounds, his own already bandaged. Fudou was at the controls, Sakuma knew he could trust him up there. Kageyama was still unconscious in the hold, handcuffed and restrained.

“That was… very stupid of you,” Sakuma said softly, bandaging Genda’s arm. 

“I know, I know,” Genda laughed weakly, the worst of his wounds tended to but still washing through him with pain. “But we made it,”

“Promise me you’ll never take a job like this again,”

“I promise, Jirou,”

A faint blush dusted Sakuma’s cheeks, unused to Genda using his first name.

“What were you trying to tell me back there? Before the fight?” Genda asked

Sakuma stopped. 

“Oh, that? Well, uh… the thing is… you see,” He stuttered, suddenly unsure in himself, “Genda… uh, Koujirou, I-”

“I love you,” Genda finished.

“I… yeah, I love you,” Sakuma barely spoke the words, slightly stunned. 

A soft kiss pressed into Sakuma’s knuckles, “I love you Jirou,”

Sakuma didn’t know how to respond- so he didn’t. 

“Will you be taking a break from bounty hunting to heal?” He returned Genda’s affection, ghosting his lips over the palm of his hand.

“Most likely, though… I would have anyways,” He smiled, “With this payment I should… I should be able to stay on Talmeli,”

Sakuma beamed. Years of worrying, stressing over this idiot, bathing in the brief moments they got together, they could finally relax. 

“That would be nice,” he paused, “Maybe you could sell some paintings, you wouldn’t have to go back,”

Genda considered it for a moment, before replying with a mock-serious tone, “I could… on one condition,”

“Which would be?”

“Kiss me,” Genda laughed.

Sakuma huffed, feigning annoyance, “You’re ridiculous,”

He leaned over, locking their lips together to seal their deal.


End file.
